Shutter control for cameras



un 7 1927. J e R. w. SMITH SHUTTER CONTROL FOR CAMERAS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19, 1921 n 7 1927. 1631435 e R. w. SMITH SHUTTER CONTROL FOR CAMERAS Filed ADril 19. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 7, 1927. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RICHMOND W. SMITH, QF WALPOLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHUTTER CONTROL FOR CAMERAS.

Application filed April 19, 1921. Serial No. 462,546.

The present invention relates toimprovcnism connected with the winding spool for ments in cameras and more particularly to releasing the shutter when the spool is opercertain improvements in cameras designed ated; and Fig. 6 is a section upon the line for the prevention of a double exposure. 66 of Fig. 3 and illustrates a portion of 5 .lt is well recognized that the embodiment the shutter operating lever and the cooperof some form of apparatus in a camera ating shutter member. which shall insure against the possibility of Referring to the illustrated embodiment making two successive exposures without of the invention it will be observed that the changing the film or plate in the interim is camera shown therein is of the folding type i highly desirable. With this idea in view a embodying a flat case 15 having a hinged variety of schemes have been proposed, but drop portion 16 provided with the usual owing to their complication and their failtracks over which the lens board 18 is me to function properly none of these moved, the lens board being connected with schemes have gone into successful use. the case of the camera through light-proof l5 lt is the object of the present invention bellows 20. The opposite ends of the case to provide a simple, efficient and compact 15 receive film spools which are indicated mechanism which may easily be added to the at 22 and 24 respectively. These film spools present types of cameras and which we are usual in film cameras, the spool 22 bevents the operator from making more than mg inserted within the camera case with a 20 one exposure upon the same film or plate. new film wound thereon, the end of which The preferred form of the invention is s gaged with the spool 24 which is conenilmdied in a camera of the roll film type nected with a winding knob 25 in such a i hi h th exposed fil i l d b a manner that it is turned thereby. Accordnew film through the advance of a film strip mg to the present invention, mechanism is 25 wound at its opposite ends upon carrier COIlllfiCtBd With 0116 Of the filIILS OOlS t0 18- 1 lease the shutter'upon turning tie spool to An important feature of the present inv n a new film surface into position, vention resides in the provision of releasthe shutter having been automatically locked m mechanism t t d b th t i in an inoperative position during the previ- 30 movement of the film spool to advance a new 0ll S POSure. Operating in conjunction film surface into position and designed with the shutter release is a locking device through suitable connections to release the whlch operates automatically to hold the h tt e ti lever hi h h b shutter lever in an inoperative position after previously looked in an inoperative positi each actuation of the lever to make an ex- 00 after the exposure. P

Still f th f t f th i ti The shutter mechanism illustrated in Fig. sist in certain novel features of construcof the drawings is of a. well known type ti bi ti d arr t f in which the present control is conveniently -t h i ft d ib d d l i d, th embod ed. As shown, the shutter comprises 4o advantages of which will be obvious to those tWO p v d Seg ents 30 and 31 which are skilled in the art from the following de- Operated dlrectly by an arm 32 normally rescriptiom turned to the position shown in Fig. 3 by In the accompanying drawings illustrata p g This arm is depressed to seping the referred form of the invention Big, arate the sectors and open the shutter by an 4.5 1 represents a front elevation partly in secoperating lever 35 which is pivoted at 37 tion of a folding camera embodying the new and normally returned to the position shown construction; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of in Flg. 3 by a spring 38. The upper end 39 the camera shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a deof the operating lever is bent into an int il ill stratin an enlarged plan iew f clined position, as shown in section in Fig. 60 the shutter mechanism together with the new 6, and is positioned in the path of the pivform of control embodied therein; Fig. 4. is oted control lever 40, having an operating a detail illustrating an enlarged view of portion 42 projecting outwardly through the certain parts of the shutter locking mechacasing into position to be engaged by the nism removed from the shutter as a whole; operator. This control lever is normally 55 Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 moved into the position shown in Fig. 4 illustrating a view of the actuator mechawith the inner end depressed, by a spring end 50 of the operating lever inwardly and upwardly, tensing the spring 38. When the inner end of the control lever reaches ap proximately the limit of its upward movement, the operating lever 35 is automatically disengaged therefrom and suddenly snaps back into the position shown under the action of the spring 38. Durin this return movement the end 50 of the ever engages with a projecting stud 52 upon the arm 32 and snaps the arm down to open the shutter.

' Ifa time or bulb exposure is desired the movements of the arm 32- and the control lever 40 are put under the control of two pivoted levers 56 and 58 respectively, which serve to cause the actuation of the control lever to 0 erate the shutter accordingl As will be obvious to those skilled in t e art,

when operating this type of shutter for an instantaneous exposure the control lever is turned from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 into approximately the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. This causes the shutter to be opened and closed through the mechanism previously described. Thereafter when the control lever is released it will return to the reset position shown in Fig. 4 with the inturned lower end 46 positioned beneath the projecting portion 39. When operating with the mechanism set for a bulb exposure the movement of the control lever from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to the position shown in dotted lines opens the shutter. Thereafter the shutter is retained in this position until the lever is released, this causing the shutter to close. In operating the mechanism when set for a time ex osure the movement of the lever from the reset position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to the position shown in dotted lines opens the shutter. Thereafter when the lever is released it returns to a second reset position substantially midway between the 'two positions shown in Fig. 4 in such a manner that a second actuation of the control lever closes the shutter.

With the present mechanism, after the control lever has been moved from the reset position to open the shutter it is automatically prevented from returning to the reset position shown in full lines until the film spool has been turned to advance a new film into position for an exposure. The lock which prevents the return of the control lever into the initial position does, however, permit a second actuation of the lever to close the shutter in case the mecha nism is set for a time exposure. The opera- ,limits the movement of the control lever in such a manner as to prevent these movements from being effective in operating the shutter except to accomplish the closing of a previously opened shutter when a time exposure has been made. I

The automatic release or the shutter lock, as stated previously, is accomplished through the turning of the winding spool to advance a new film surface into posltion for exposure. To this end the stem of the winding knob 25 is provided with an actuating cam 66 enclosed within the housing 68, as will be obvious, and turned with the winding spool to advance the film. This winding movement turns the cam in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Fig. 5, and moves a plunger 70 against a spring 72, this plun er being conveniently connected with the shutter release on the lens board-through a flexible operating connection indicated generally at 74 and comprising a cable 75 enclosed within a flexible sheath 76. This flexible connection, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, maylie in a groove 78 formed in one side 79 of the camera case. The opposite end of the cable 75 is connected with a sliding awl 80 mounted within the shutter housing 82, as shown in Fig. 3. The pawl 80 engages with a ratchet wheel 81 which is also engaged by the end 83 of the locking dog 60 in such a manner that a slight movement of the ratchet wheel in the direction of the arrow tilts the locking do sufficiently to release the control lever an permit its movement to a reset position, as shown in Fig. 4. The downward movement of the pawl 80 in a direction to release the locking dog takes place when the plunger 70 reaches the abrupt drop 86 on the cam 66, at this point the spring 72 snappin the awl lengthwise and rotating the ratchet w eel sufliciently to release the locking dog. The pawl 80 is normally retained in engagement with the ratchet wheel through a leaf-spring 90 which bears against the inner face of the housing 82 at its free end, this housing being so shaped that the pawl is freed from the ratchet at the end of .its movement, permitting the ratchet to be turned slightl in a reverse direction under the action 0 the spring 64 acting through the dog 60.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential except so far as specified in the claims and may be changed or modified without departing from the broader features of the invention.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. A camera comprising a shutter control lever, a shutter mechanism cooperating therewith and adapted to open the shutter upon movement of the control lever from its initial position, a pivoted locking dog adapted to engage the control lever to prevent the return of the lever to initial position', a ratchet wheel engaging the locking dog, and means for turning the ratchet Wheel upon movement of the film spool for releasing the locking dog to permit return of the control lever.

2. A camera comprising a shuttercontrol lever, a shutter mechanism adapted to open the shutter upon movement of the control lever from its initial position, a locking dog normally arranged in position to engage the control'lever for preventing return thereot after an exposure, film spool turning means, and connections betwen the film spool turning means and the locking dog for momentarily releasing the locking dog during the rotation of the film spool.

3. A camera comprising a shutter control lever, a shutter mechanism adapted to operate the shutter upon movement of the control lever from its initial position, locking means normally arranged to prevent return of the control lever to reset position after an ex posure. lilmspool turning means, a cam on the film spool turning means having an abrupt drop, and connections between the cam and the locking means arranged to momentagagement of said connections by rilyjreleas'eithe locking means upon the enthe abrupt drop portion of thecam.

' 4. A camera having, in combination, a film spool, a shutter cdii'trollever, a locking dog adapted to obstruct the path of the control lever after a single operating movement, means for releasing the locking dog upon movement of the film spool including a ratchet wheel engaging one end of the dog, and a pawl adapted to rotate the ratchet wheel.

5. A camera comprising a film spool, a cam rotatable with the spool, a manually operable shutter control lever, a locking dog adapted to prevent the return of the shutter control lever to its original position, a ratchet wheel for releasing the locking dog from engagement with the control lever, and a pawl actuated by the cam for rotating the ratchet wheel.

6. A camera comprising a shutter control lever, locking means arranged normally to prevent return of the control lever to re-set position after an exposure, a ratchet associated with the locking means, a pawl for advancing the ratchet, film spool turning means, and connections between the film spool turning means and the pawl for momentarily advancing the ratchet to release the locking means, and means acting on the pawl for permitting the locking means to return to its normal position.

7. A camera comprising a shutter control lever, a locking dognormally in position to prevent return of the shutter control lever after an exposure, a ratchet engaging with the locking dog, a pawl for advancing the ratchet, film spool turning means, a cam as sociated with the film spool turning means having a portion of gradually increasing diameter and an abrupt drop portion, a plunger adapted to be operated by the cam, connections between the plunger and the pawl for actuating the pawl without rotation of the ratchet upon engagement of the gradually increasing portion of the cam and to permit a sudden momentary movement of the ratchet during the passage of the plunger over the abrupt drop portion of the cam, and means for releasing the pawl from the ratchet to permit the locking dog to move into normal position after release of the control lever.

RICHMOND W. SMITH. 

